The BBC Three show - which showed a group of British teenagers a fictional rape scenario and asked them to decide whether it was rape or not - was lauded by viewers as being powerful, but the teens themselves came in for strong criticism after their views were slammed.

"No one asks to be raped, whether that be through their clothing or their actions. Rape is rape. #sexontrial ," hit out one fan.

Another added: "#Sexontrial was extremely powerful and it's terrifying how little people understand/know about rape to this day."

"People seem to have the view that rape is a violent attack. That's not always the case," added another.

Read more views on the show at the bottom of this piece.

With presenter Will Best, two dozen teenage boys and girls spend two days being put to the test to see what they actually think the rules are.

They’ll be shown a three-part drama , specially created for the programme, which tells the story of a sexual encounter between a teenage boy and girl. As the scenario unfolds they will be asked to vote on specific questions regarding whether a rape has been committed. Each vote will also be open to the audience at home and the results put on screen.

The question of whether a rape was committed provokes strong opinions within the group.

After viewing the first clip, the boys discuss whether they think the situation - which showed a boy climbing into bed with a sleeping girl and an act of oral sex happening - was rape.

(Image: BBC)

Immediately some of the boys said it was rape because the girl was unconscious during the act, but others disagreed.

"He raped her. Yeah he did," said one. There was absolutely no consent so it definitely was rape. Just because someone hasn't said no, they haven't said yes."

But another of the boys argued that it was because there was no clear consent or refusal, that it couldn't be rape.

He said: "They all instantly presumed he was some kind of weird psycho predator because... I think to an extent he was just led on.

"She didn't push him off, she didn't say no. And I'm not being funny but if I had a guy putting his d*** in my mouth, I'd say no if I didn't want it there."

With host Will Best playing devil's advocate, the boys clashed over it, with some insisting that it was not rape, others perceiving the girl to have been too scared to stop him, and another one of the boys saying he didn't think she was 'completely innocent'.

The girls were similarly split on the situation.

"Unwanted sexual contact is unwanted sexual contact," said one.

Another added: "She didn't actually say anything. She didn't show she was up for it but she didn't try to stop it."

Both groups called it things like 'semi-rape' and 'not a full rape', despite admitting that it was an awful thing to say.

As the groups both anonymously voted, the results were potentially surprising.

To the question 'Did Gemma consent?' 13% voted yes, 54% voted no and 33% said they didn't know.

Viewer votes were then revealed with the public voting as follows.

Yes, 11%, no, 83% and just 6% didn't know.

Both groups were then brought together to see the second part of the drama as Gemma reported the situation to the police.

Tom's defence was that he had previously dated Gemma and that he assumed she had invited him to the party to resume their relationship.

In court room scenes, Gemma revealed that the pair hadn't slept together, and that she was joking around when she sent him intimate pictures of herself on Snapchat.

Showing what a courtroom scene can be like for a victim of sexual assault, Gemma was then ripped apart by the defence lawyer, but insisted she hadn't stopped him because: "I couldn't. I just froze."

After viewing this section of the drama, some of the group changed their minds.

One of the girls who previously believed Gemma had given consent, changed her mind after seeing her testimony.

However, another of the girls stood firm and insisted Tom didn't 'intentionally rape her'.

But after meeting a man who was falsely accused of rape, the group didn't change their minds, but it did get them another angle to consider.

Asked then to answer the question 'Did Tom believe he had consent?' the group voted as follows.

A majority of 54% voted yes, 30% voted no and 16% said they didn't know.

For the third part of the fictionalised account, the group were shown the prosecution's case as it was revealed Gemma's 'flirty text' was a group message.

The lawyer tore Tom's account of the evening to shreds.

"She would have definitely said if she wasn't into it," Tom said but he admitted he couldn't remember whether she responded at all.

However, then texts Tom had sent the day after revealed that Tom knew Gemma 'wasn't into it' the morning after.

The emotional scenes left the group split once more, but a meeting with a survivor of sexual assault who didn't report her rape for two years changed them once again.

A fierce debate erupted after one of the boys once again repeated that while he thinks Tom is a rapist, it wasn't 'violent' so the term rapist was too strong.

One of the girls who revealed her experience as a rape survivor blasted him asking him 'what the hell are you talking about?'

The group were then asked 'Is this rape?' before having the laws of consent to them by a legal expert.

Barrister Abigail Husbands, who helped devise the situation for the documentary, told the group that there was no expectation that he thought he had consent.

Overall she informed them that under the law Tom raped Gemma and would probably be found guilty.

However, still some of the group disagreed because they still didn't consider it rape.

After the final vote, the group voted on the question 'Is this rape?' with 87% saying it was, 4% saying it wasn't and 9% saying they didn't know.

Viewers were asked the same question and answered as follows.

79% said yes, 16% no while 5% said they didn't know.

It was then revealed that Tom would be likely sentenced for at least seven years in prison, but the group said that they thought it was too much for him.